Cross Contamination Chapter 3: The Cuckysitter's Club
"You're going to have to talk to your daughter." Said Gina darkly. She was leaning forward, peering into the mirror as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. Getting ready for her date. "You wouldn't believe what she was wearing when I got to school to pick her up."
Daren couldn't imagine that it was that bad, and felt like Gina was changing the subject by bringing it up.
"Well, I think you know more about that than I do, dear. You know, boys, and dressing appropriately." Gina shot him a questioning glance, but must have decided he didn't mean anything by it. "I'm serious," she said, turning back to the mirror, "She needs a strong male influence in her life. There is a reason that they say that strippers have daddy issues." She added the last part in a mutter.
Daren had a brief image of Cassie as a stripper which he managed to clear out of his head with difficulty.
"But like I was saying sweetie, we need to set some ground rules for what's going to happen tonight." He continued in a meek voice.
Gina huffed, and began throwing her makeup into her makeup bag. "Nothing is going to happen at all, Daren Harlowe. At least not anything your dirty mind is imagining. What's going to happen is this: I will get him to the negotiating table, then play hard ball. Really grab him by the balls." She realized that she had misspoken and gave him a smirk and a side-long glance. "Figuratively. Obviously!" She looked incredible, with freshly done hair, a slinky little dress that showed off her curves, and killer done makeup, with heavy mascara, just like he liked it. She softened as she turned to him and snaked her hands around his waist.
"Honey, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. This body..." she grabbed his hands and moved them up her hips "These lips..." she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a deep wet kiss, "And this heart..." She pulled one of his hands again towards one large breast and squashed it in. "They are all just for you baby. I love you Daren, and your jerk of a boss can't change that, no matter how hard he tries. Tell you what," and she pulled him close and whispered in his ear, "Tonight, I'll prove it to you." She knew he couldn't resist it when she whispered in his ears. It was a major turn on for him. He felt a smile spread across his face.
Just then the doorbell rang, and Gina was grabbing her purse and hurried towards the door. "So stay up for me, tiger!" she called over her shoulder.
"Where is Cassie anyway?" Daren quickly asked as she left.
"Over to a friend's house," called Gina, opening the door. "Probably wanted to escape our wrath. She said she won't be back tonight. Ok, love you! Bye!"
And with that, she was out the door, and Daren had the silent house to himself.
...
Victor had insisted that she not drive herself, and instead sent a driver. He claimed that the restaurant they would meet at would be a surprise. Gina had her guard up from the start. The best strategy was to treat every gesture as an act of war.
The car was nice, the driver polite. It moved with the silent glide that high-quality luxury vehicles always had. This car and driver couldn't come cheap. Was Victor Cross really this rich, or was he splurging in order to impress her?
Eventually, the car pulled up to Cassa Rossa and the driver lept to open the door for her. She nearly gasped. She had been bothering Daren to get her a reservation here for months, but had always gotten the pained smile from him that meant he didn't want to say no, but also didn't think it was possible. What strings must Victor have pulled to get a reservation in under a week?
Victor was waiting for her just inside the lobby. He was dressed to the nines, and holding a large expensive looking bouquet, which he handed to her with a smile. God damn it. Gina knew that she should be refusing, but the flowers were gorgeous, and the gesture seemed harmless enough.
"Gina!" he said warmly, "so great to see you! You look fantastic tonight. I love your hair."
"Victor." She said coldly with a curt nod. Don't give him an inch.
"Well," he said, clapping his hands together with a smile "shall we sit?"
"Yes, let's." Said Gina decisively, striding past him. She glanced to the side at him as they followed the waiter into the luxurious, dimly lit restaurant. It wasn't right that someone so cruel and manipulative was so handsome. Damn it, he even smelled great, with the kind of warm spicy smell that she loved.
They were sitting at a table that seemed like the best in the house, set back from the main dining floor, with a good view of the restaurant as a whole. They sat, Victor ordered wine without looking at a menu, and then they were alone.
"So Gina, how are you?"
"Cut the crap, Victor." Gina fired back. She was ready to come in guns blazing tonight. "I'm not here for a romantic evening, I'm here to negotiate."
Victor shrugged with a look of disinterest. "Well, unfortunately, I am here for a romantic evening. With a beautiful woman, I might add. I negotiate all day at work. I'm not really in the mood."
Gina gave him a hard stare from across the table. "Well then it looks like we are at an impasse. You don't want to negotiate. I don't want to play along with your little romance fantasy."
Victor grimaced wryly. "It does look that way."
They sat for a moment in silence. Victor tried again. "Look, can't you just loosen up a little? I'm attracted to you, you are attracted to me, can't we just have fun tonight and not have it be any deeper than that?
Gina gave a derisive bark of a laugh. "Ha! Me? Attracted to you? Don't flatter yourself."
Victor gave a combative grin. "Well, although I know it's gauche of me to bring up the last time that we met, I saw a lot at the time that indicated otherwise."
Gina flushed angrily. So he wanted to go there, huh? "That was a combination of an overheated situation and acting. If you think that anything that night proves that I'm attracted to you, you have a lot to learn about female sexuality."
Victor seemed to be mulling this over. "Acting."
"That's right."
"If so, I'm impressed."
Gina gave a mock bow.
Victor seemed to come to a decision. "So let's put those acting skills to the test."